Expert Roofing Hacks

We've made this article with Jamie Riddington, Technical Advisor at Marley, who has many years' experience as a roofing contractor, and will help you save time, by giving you guidance about the installation of fixings and accessories

Here are our technical team's expert roofing hacks:

1. Roof clipping is acknowledge as one of the most time intensive parts of the job
   
   To speed up interlocking tile installation, use a one piece clip and nail, like SoloFix, which can reduce clipping time by as much as 30%.
   
   

2. Do you really want to tape the laps of your underlay?
   
   Underlay installation is a key topic considering that the resistance to wind and the security of laps can prevent damages to your roof and furthermore your house.
   
   Use an underlay that has an integrated tape system for sealing laps. This helps you meet BS 5534 requirements more quickly, without the need for a ‘fly’ batten to secure the laps.
   
   Marley’s underlays are marked with guidelines to assist with both the horizontal laying of the membranes, and also to correspond with the different overlaps as set out by BS 5534 making it far easier to install correctly. 
   
   

3. Dry Fix System
   
   Switching to dry fix could save you time, particularly as mortar bedded tiles must have an additional mechanical fixing under BS 5534 requirements.
   
   A big time saving benefit is that, unlike mortar, dry fix systems can be installed in all weather conditions, as long as it is safe to do so. 
   
   

4. Ventilated Dry Fix System
   
   We don’t know anyone who wants condensation or moisture in their house, a good ventilation system allows to keep the air moving all the time before it can condense.
   
   Using a dry fix system that already includes ventilation could save you some time from installing additional high level ventilation.
   
   Our ventilated dry ridge system provides the required continuous ventilation along the ridge.
   
   

5. Joining two different roof coverings?
   
   If you need to join two different roof coverings, for example on terraced or semi-detached housing, a dry fix bonding gutter is quicker and cheaper than using lead. 
   
   Dry Fix Soakers are also a great time saving alternative to using lead for side abutments.
   
   

6. Batten End Clip
   
   The innovative Batten End Clip has been designed to make it easier for roofers to install dry verges in accordance with the new British Standard. BS 8612 states that dry verge products can no longer be installed just with a nail straight into the end grain of the batten. Instead, they must be clipped or screwed into place.
   
   This c-shaped clip is a quick and easy way of complying with BS 8612, providing a strong fix into the centre of the batten. The clip is designed to fit securely onto the end of the batten, with a robust metal plate for the dry verge to be fixed into, keeping the nail locked into place and can simply be pushed or hammered into place, making installation extremely fast.
   
   

7. Clay Fittings
   
   When you’re working with clay plain tiles, purpose made fittings can be a real time saver. Not only do they look stunning, they will eliminate the time spent on site making formed fittings such as mitred hips.
   
   Also, carefully planning your clay plain tile roof in advance will save you time on site, as it helps to reduce the amount of cutting you need to do.